‘Non-GMO’ label to land on Canadian cheese

‘Non-GMO’ label to land on Canadian cheese

A Manitoba cheesemaker is poised to be the first in Canada to offer a “Non-GMO Verified” cheese line, using milk from cows fed non-GMO crops.

Bothwell Cheese announced Tuesday it plans to be the first in the country to offer cheeses made with milk that comes from dairy farms verified by the Non-GMO Project, a U.S. initiative billing itself as “North America’s most trusted seal for GMO avoidance.”

Bothwell, which operates at New Bothwell, Man., about 20 km northwest of Steinbach, already distributes over 25 varieties of cheeses through national, regional and independent retailers.

Bothwell Cheese’s new Non-GMO product line will be launched in 2017, the company said. On its website, the Non-GMO Project lists Bothwell as having a medium cheddar and medium white cheddar with the Non-GMO label.

“Bothwell Cheese has a long history of introducing innovations in cheese to provide customers with greater choice,” Bothwell president Kevin Thomson said in a release.

“Individuals and families are telling us they would like to be given more choice and we are proud to be able to offer this as an option.”

In its release, Bothwell cited a 2015 Ipsos Reid poll in which 88 per cent of Canadian respondents said they believe the federal government should mandate GMO labels on food.

The Non-GMO Project, based at Bellingham, Wash., north of Seattle, defines GMO as a “plant, animal, microorganism or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified using recombinant DNA methods… gene modification or transgenic technology.” read more at agcanada.com